Lock-switch



F. T. EARLE.

LOCK SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1919.

1,356,430. Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

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WITNESSES A TTORNEVS PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK '1. EAR-LE, OF YORK, N. Y.

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Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Oct. 19,1920.

Application filed June 28, 1919. Serial No. 307,389.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK T. EARLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lock-Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved lock switch more especially designed for use in the ignition system, of an internal combustion engine used on an automobile, auto-truck Or a similar power driven vehicle and-arranged to enable the driver of the vehicle to render the ignition system inoperative and thus prevent an unauthorized person from starting the motor and running away with the vehicle. An other object is to permit of readily installing the lock without requiring practically any changes in the ignition system. Another object is to provide a lock which is verysimple and durable in construction, cheap to manufacture and not liable to get easily out of order.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as hereinafter-shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference mdicate corresponding parts in all the views. Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the lock switch in position on the work board of an automoblle; I v

"Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

. Fig. 3 is a face view of the same.

On the work-board 10 of an automobile,

auto-truck or similar power driven vehicle 'is mounted a casing 11 provided at its front end with a flange 12 engaged by bolts 13 extending through the work board 10 to securely fasten the casing 11 in position on the work board 10. The casingll projects beyond the front of-the work board '10 and is at the forward end with insulated binding posts '15 and 16 located diametri cally opposite each other and connected with the ends 17 and 18 of one of the line wires of the ignition system for the motor. v The binding posts 15 and 16 are adapted to be engaged by insulated contact pins /20 and 21 mounted diametrically opposite each other in a barrel 22 mounted to turn in the casing 11 to move the contact pins 20 and 21 in or out of enga ement with the binding posts 15 and 16. The forward end of the barrel 22 is provided'with a ringshaped dial 23 protided'with numerals or other characters common in permutation locks. It will be notic +1 that in one position of the dial 23 the contact pins 20 and 21are in engagement with the binding posts 15 and 16, and on turning the dial 23 to another position the said conta ct pins 20 and 21 are moved out of contact with the binding posts 15 and16. The contact pins 20 and 21 of the rotatable barrel 22 are adapted to be engaged by contact pins 25 and 26 yieldingly mounted in a tube 27 of hard rubber or other insulating material arranged diametrically in a slide 28 mounted to slide lengthwise in the barrel 22. ,A spring 29 is" held within the tube 28 and engages the inner ends of the contact pins 25, and 26 so as to press the same outward in engagement with the contact pins 20 and- 21 whenever the parts are in proper register. It will be noticed that when the contact pins '25 and 26 are in register with the contact i pins 20 and 21 and the latter are in register with the binding posts 15 and 16 then the ends 17 and 18 of the circuit wire are electrically connected with each other to permit proper functioning, of the ignition system. When the pins 20 and 21 are moved out of engagement with the binding posts 15 and 16 then the ends 17 and 18 are elec- I trically disconnected, and likewise, in case.

' the pins 25 and 26 are shifted out of engage ment with the contact pins 20 and21 then the ends 17 and 18 are likewise electrically disconnected and the ignition system is rendered inoperative.

The slide 28 is-providedwith a hub 30 in whichscrews a screw rod 31 having a polygonal end 32 fitting into a correspondingly shaped socket 33 formed in a second dial 34 mounted to turn on the barrel dial 23, The second dial 34 is provided with a;

suitable knob 35 for turning this dial, and

the dial 34 is provided with numerals or 34 a turning motion is given to the screw rod 31 whereby the latter screws in the hub and thus moves the slide 28 forward or backward according to the "direction in which the knob 35 is turned at the time. In either case, the movement of the slide 28 causes the contact, pins 25 and 26 to move in or out of engagement with the contact pins 20 and 21.

It is understood that when the dial 34 is in the correct positidn, known only to the driver of the automobile, then the contact pins 25 and 26 areiin engagement with the contact pins 20 and 21, but before leaving the automobile the driver turns either of the dials 23 or 34 or both to electrically disconnect the ends 17 and 18 for the purpose above explained, that is, to render the ignition system inoperative. In order to insure proper connection between the polygonal end 32 of the screw rod 31 and the dial 34 use is made of a spring 40, bearing against the forward end of the slide 28 and seated in a cap 41 attached to the forward end of the barrel 22. The slide 28 is held against turning and for this purpose the hub 30 of the slide is preferably provided witha forward extension having a 'key 51 engaging a key slot in the cap 41.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by the arrangement described an unauthorized person cannot start the internal combustion engine as the ignition system is rendered inoperative. It will further be noticed that by .having both the rotatable contact members and the longitudinal sliding contact embers a double provision is made for rendering the ignition system inoperative by either of the two means or by both. It is understood that in .orderto properly set the switch to circuit closing position, the barrel 22 is turned until theproper numeral of the dial 23 is in register with a mark on the fixed flange 12 (see Fig. 3), and the dial 34 is turned until its proper numeral registers with the numeral of the dial 23 opposite the fixed mark on the flange 12. The lock .switch is now correctly set for theproper functioning of the ignition system. The

screw rod 31has the end of its thread a dis tance from the hub 30, say three convolu tions, (see Fig. 1) at the time the switch is properly set, and the user of the switch is thus provided with a guide to correctly set the dial 35 i The lock switch shown. anddescribed is composed of comparatively few parts, not liable to get easily dut of order.

' Having thus described my invention, I

of the circuit wire.

,erative.

controlled slidable contact member movable lengthwise relative to the said rotatable contact members and in or out of engagement with the same, the said rotatable contact members when in engagement with the said binding posts and the said slidable contact member when in engagement at the same time with the rotatable contact members closing the circuit of the ignition system, and when the said rotatable contact members are out of engagement with the binding posts or the said slidable contact member is out of engagement with, the said rotatable members then the circuit of the ignition system is brokentand the latter rendered inop- 2. A lock switch controlling the ignition system of a motor vehicle comprising a fixed casing, binding posts mounted on the said casing and connected with a line wire of an ignition system, a barrel mounted to turn in the saidcasing and provided with a dial .and with contact members adapted to enmembers adapted to engage the said contact members on the barrel, a second dial concentric with the said barrel dial, and a connection between the said second dialand the said block to shift the latter lengthwise in the barrel on turning the said second dial.

. tact with the said binding posts, and a dial-' 3. A lock switch controlling the ignition systemiof a motor vehicle comprising :1 casing carrying binding posts connected with a line wire of an ignition system, a barrel mounted. to turn in the casing and provided with contact pins adapted'to en age the said binding posts, a dial on the said barrel for turning the latter,,a slide slidable lengthwise in the barrel and provided with contact pins adapted toengage the said barrel contact pins, a spring connecting the slide pins with each other and pressing the same outward, a second dial arranged centrally on the said barrel dial, and a screw screwing in the said slide and engaged by the said second dial to shift the slide lengthwise on turning the said second dial.

4. A lock switch controlling the ignition system of a motor vehicle comprising a casing carrying binding posts connected with a line wire of an ignition system, a barrel mounted to turn in the casing and provided with contact pins adapted to engage the said binding posts, a dial on the'said barrel for on the said barrel dial and provided with a turning the latter, a slide slidable lengthsocket, a screw screwing in the said slide ise in the barrel and provided "with conand having a polygonal end engaging the 10 tact pins adapted to engage the said barrel said socket, and a spring pressing the said 5 contact pins, a spring connecting the slide slide to hold the polygonal end in engage pins with each other and pressing the same 'ment with-the socket. I a outward, a second dial arranged centrally FREDERICK T. EARLE, 

